IRMA HARDJAKUSUMAH - DESIGN, STORYTELLING, AND THE PURSUIT OF EMOTION

Irma Hardjakusumah is the founder of Studio Left, a design studio that she recently launched out of the success of her career. Irma is an award-winning designer with a wide range of design vocabulary and over 15 years of experience in Multidisciplinary Design marked with achievements in all fields related: Exhibit Design, Event Design, Experiential Marketing, Retail/Interior Design and Furniture Design. She is a well-rounded design professional who not only is capable of driving the design process from a macro perspective but is also skilled, knowledgeable and detail oriented to be intimately involved in every step of execution. Naturally talented in both creative and technical sides of design, Irma is able to take a project from its first phase of ideation, through engineering and all the way to its final phase of production.

Irma is all about putting herself in other peoples shoes. That’s her job after all. When people walk through one of Irma’s exhibits or event environments, she wants them to feel something deeply. That feeling is an emotion, which creates a sense of wonder or amazement. Irma is clearly really good at delivering those emotions in people, because she is constantly asked back to do it again. But emotions just don't happen, and provoking them can be incredibly difficult. Through storytelling Irma is able to bring people into a moment or a succession of moments that create these emotions. Just like a director does with a film, she does with design. People never forget her immersive experiences because people never forget when an emotion has shifted them so deeply.